Ford Racing NSCS Notes & Quotes:
Pennsylvania 400 (Pocono Raceway)
NSCS Friday Advance (August 3, 2012)
Greg Biffle stands third in the latest Sprint Cup point standings behind teammate Matt Kenseth and 22 points out of first place. The most recent Ford driver to sport a victory at Pocono met with media members after the first practice session at the “Tricky Triangle” Friday afternoon.
GREG BIFFLE, No. 16 3M Ford Fusion – HOW WAS PRACTICE? “Practice was really good. A lot better than we were here last time. I think we learned a lot at Indy and Michigan at that one day test, we learned there too. The guys have been working really hard on the rear suspension and have come back the way the 17 was at the first Pocono and trying to perfect that a little bit.”
DID YOU CHANGE THE APPROACH HERE BASED ON WHAT YOU LEARNED HERE IN JUNE? “I think so. We learned a little bit over in Indy and a lot at Michigan trying different things. I think that has picked us up a little speed. We have the car turning a little better.”
IT SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF THE SAME CARS UP THERE AT THE TOP IN PRACTICE. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU ARE WORKING TOWARDS AND SHOOTING FOR A POLE? “Yeah, we definitely are. The weather looks a little iffy tomorrow but this next session we are going to work on longer runs and then at the end of it work on qualifying.”
AFTER THE MICHIGAN TIRE TEST WE HEARD EVERYONE SAY IT WAS GOOD, BUT THAT IS WHAT WE HEARD AFTER THE LAST TEST. WHAT ABOUT THIS TIME AROUND GIVES YOU MORE CONFIDENCE? “What gives us a little more confidence is speeds are a tiny bit slower and what that does is it gives the tire a little bit of relief. A little slower speed won’t be as hard on the tire. Goodyear took a little rubber off the tire so it sheds a little heat and the right side tire was the only issue after we brought the other left. We are really going back with the same left, a little thinner right side and speeds are down a little. I think it will be fine, I really do.”
ONLY FIVE RACES LEFT TO THE CHASE. DO YOU THINK THIS SHORTER RACE WILL HELP ANYBODY? “I don’t think so. I think it is just a more fun race overall. The 500 miles here gets kind of drawn out. I think the 400 mile race is much better for this track.”
EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE YAW IN JIMMIES CAR LAST WEEK. “Yeah, we are working hard on trying to figure out what they are doing and we have a little of it, maybe not what they had, but our own version of our rear suspension working hard at it. We learned a little bit at Indy and learned some more at Michigan. You look at the speeds now and we have three Roush cars right near the top. I think we are gaining on what they have or what we are doing is getting is closer.”
MAN VERSUS MACHINE, WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT WHEN YOU SEE HOW MUCH A DIFFERENCE STUFF LIKE THAT MAKES? “It is really both. If the driver can’t give the feedback of what the car is doing then they don’t know what to do to the machine part with all the computers and everything else. You need equal amounts of both. You could say that the car is 90-percent of it and the driver is 90-percent of it but without either you don’t have anything.”
HOW HAS ROAD COURSE PREP CHANGED? “It has changed a lot. Before you used to get these road course specialists that would come in and run really well but now circle track guys have gotten so good and gotten our cars so good. We have learned a lot from those guys and the tests we do have really closed the gap.”
WHAT SECTION OF WATKINS GLEN IS THE MOST CHALLENGING? “I think through the esses. There is a lot of speed there and that is most important, going up the esses. It really sets up the whole back stretch and the bus stop and carousel turn and all that.”
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE OLYMPIC SPORT? “I love the Olympics, all the aspects of it. It is so fun to watch. From the swimming to the gymnastics, all of that. I haven’t seen much more than that right now but I really enjoy that and it is a lot of fun to watch.”
WHICH SPORT WOULD YOU LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN? “I don’t know. I don’t know what I would be good at. I will have to think about that one.”
DESCRIBE THE HAT DANCE IN VICTORY LANE. “Victory lane is a great place to be. Other than that, you just do what you have to do and the hat dance is part of it. To get your picture with all the NASCAR sponsors and all your sponsors and the contingency sponsors. You have to take a picture with many hats on, but at that point you really don’t care.”
DID YOU HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH ALLMENDINGER? DO YOU THINK HE WILL BE ABLE TO COME BACK? “I really don’t have any idea. We weren’t that close or whatever, we didn’t talk that much. I don’t know what the status is. I saw the B sample came back the same test and he is suspended. I imagine he could go through whatever NASCAR requires and come back I would imagine.”
PENSKE RELEASED HIM THIS WEEK. “Yeah, I would have suspected they would release him. He will have to go do his due diligence and come back. Maybe he can come back through the Nationwide series or with another Cup car. I would think it is doable. I don’t know but I think that NASCAR – if he did all the right things he would have a second chance at some point.”
THERE HAVE BEEN SIX DIFFERENCE WINNERS IN THE LAST SIX RACES. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT CHASE CHANCES COMING UP? “That just shows how competitive the sport is getting. Lack of caution flags, different winners, all those things make up why it is so competitive. I think you will see the same thing in the Chase. You are going to see a bunch of different winners and guys up front because it is just so tough.”
NOT TO PIT YOU AGAINST CARL BUT CARL KEEPS SAYING THAT LAST YEAR MADE NO DIFFERENCE AND HE DOESN’T HAVE A HANGOVER. YOU ARE ON THE INSIDE BUT A LITTLE ON THE OUTSIDE. DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENCE? “You know, it is weird. We have talked about that and people have asked what the difference is. You know what? We really don’t know. Look at our pickup from last year. It is because we worked hard over the winner, got new guys, Puccia has had a full off-season to work on things and get it going the way we needed to. We had some good tests. That is what made the difference for us. Them, I don’t know what has happened. We look at it and wonder why they aren’t running as good. I know they are looking at what our guys are doing to our cars right now and that is probably why they have more speed this week.”
WHAT IS IT ABOUT WHEN YOU COME CLOSE, TRYING TO COME BACK? HAVE YOU EVER FELT DEFLATION? “Oh yeah, last year it was so depressing last year. We were so close to winning so many times and we would get right there and something would happen. Then we would barely miss the Chase and it was tough to take. Not winning – to go a whole season without winning a race – it wears on you as a driver.”
IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE IT IS BETTER TO FINISH THIRD OR FOURTH THAN SECOND. “Yeah, it hurts to miss it by a little bit. I did in 2005 and I just can’t believe what Carl went through last year with being tied in the points. That was just phenomenal.”
ANY CONCERN ON PIT ROAD SPEEDING PENALTIES HERE IN JUNE? “Not really. We know where the spots are that you can get trapped and we know it is those shorter sections that you have to watch it in because there is no forgiveness in those short little sections. If you are over by a hair of the measurement is a foot difference than how they calculated it you can get caught.
